Internet Security Learning Center

Networking: Small Firms Struggling

Many small and midsize businesses are inadequately prepared to deal with IT threats, and many are still relying on outmoded, first-generation security solutions, according to a recent survey by the Yankee Group and the Information Technology Solution Provider Alliance (ITSPA). "While the security threat landscape has become more complex, most small businesses are still struggling with first-generation security technology, falling farther and farther behind," according to a spokesman for the ITSPA. Government regulations are forcing them to pay closer attention to data protection, however, and security providers have been lowering their prices by combining functionalities, such as encryption and policy-based solutions. This could remove some of the barriers that have kept smaller enterprises from adopting new security applications, according to Jon Oltsik of the Enterprise Strategy Group. Solutions are now available that enable companies to segregate data so that the same network can support all company traffic while restricting access to certain information, such as that protected by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act or HIPAA, for instance. Security within the existing network is known as a "set it once control," according to CipherOptics CEO Ron Willis. Small and midsize businesses are also increasingly looking to mechanisms that enable different computer systems to communicate with each other, known as service-oriented architectures (SOA). Experts agree that the network is emerging as the next area of innovation in the coming years as businesses drive demand for bundled systems that can manage voice, video, and data applications.

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